Bolthouse Farms Unveils Innovation Center

Bolthouse Farms unveiled its state-of-the-art Innovation Center Wednesday at the company’s headquarters in Bakersfield, Calif. The facility is designed to accelerate new product development and enhance current Bolthouse Farms offerings across the company’s portfolio of beverages, salad dressings and fresh carrots. The Innovation Center will integrate marketing and research to create new products intended to help consumers make healthy food choices.

“The Innovation Center is a fitting next step toward Inspiring the Fresh Revolution as it enables us to further enhance how healthier foods, beverages and snacks are developed and marketed,” said Jeff Dunn, CEO of Bolthouse Farms. “Our investment in consumer research and new innovations in food science will enable us to attract additional world-class talent to increase consumers’ access to high quality, nutritious and affordable products.”

The $5 million Innovation Center houses several test kitchens and a sensory center, which will allow product developers to utilize advanced technologies as they research food and beverage ingredients and products. The 17,900-s.f. complex currently is staffed with 40 employees. The center will greatly expand the potential number of products Bolthouse Farms brings to market on an annual basis and enable the introduction of completely new product categories, the company says.

The unveiling of the Innovation Center Wednesday morning was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring opening remarks from Bolthouse Farms COO Scott LaPorta, immediately followed by comments from Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall. Other local public officials in attendance included: city council member Russell Johnson, a representative from Congressman David Valadao’s office, Betsy Ramsey, and two representatives from Sen. Jean Fuller’s office, Dana Culhane-Brennan and Romeo Agbalog. The event also featured a guided tour of the new complex.

Bolthouse Farms is a farm located in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley. It is a market share leader in growing and distributing carrots. In addition, Bolthouse Farms produces and sells super-premium juices, smoothies, protein shakes and cafe beverages under the Bolthouse Farms brand name. In recent years, Bolthouse Farms diversified its offerings by launching a line of premium refrigerated yogurt dressings and extra virgin olive oil vinaigrettes.